Latest posts by Anastasia Pestova
When there is no homeland: Stateless people of the former USSR
Being stateless often means that you cannot open a bank account, register property, get married, enroll a child in school, find a job, or even see a family doctor.
How can Moldova unite the country amid Russian pressure?
The report’s authors called on Western partners to support Moldova’s struggling independent media and encourage the creation of trustworthy Russian-language media outlets
How LGBTQ+ people live in Russia after being labeled an extremist community
How has life changed for queer people across different regions of Russia after the ban on the LGBTQ+ "movement?" What do they fear and dream about?
Strange brew: The stories and culture of tea in Russia
Russian tea: samovar, special tea cozies, food ... but the essential part is that the tea time has always been a setting for discussing important matters and socializing.
Ukrainian men running from mobilization: An uncomfortable topic no-one wants to discuss
“How to flee from Ukraine to Moldova” is googled by women, children, and the elderly, but also men of military age who can't or don't want to fight
What is behind the suicides of LGBTQ+ people in refugee camps in the Netherlands?
There have been at least four reported case of suicide among Russian-speaking refugees in the Netherlands over the past year
Casual racism in Russia's everyday life: ‘Even though you are Buryat, you are still one of us’
Hurtful stereotypes can create actual barriers between people, fuel division and animosity. Stereotypes about an ethnic minority living in Russia, Buryats, are a vivid example of these negative social processes
Young people attempt to build the city of the future in Russian province, while residents seek the past
Artists have come back to Chaykovsky, a small town in Russia, and have established a public cultural center there. They now face resistance from officials and a lack of understanding among local residents.
Russian art critic: “Street art cannot be killed or destroyed”
Since the war began, the street art capital of Russia status of Yekaterinburg has come into question: some artists have left Russia, while others have been imprisoned for their anti-war works
One traitor a day: The state of treason cases in Russia
"Holod" magazine has exposed a record number of criminal cases of treason and espionage, which are now being initiated more frequently than during the post-Stalin era in the USSR
In Russia, authorities filter information and algorithms help them
Social networks want their users to spend more time on their platforms, to leave a more extensive digital footprint that can be used for various purposes.
Transgender girl from Russia commits suicide in a refugee camp
This terrible case exposes the problem of access to psychological and medical care in refugee camps. Representatives of the LGBTQ+ community are at high risk when it comes to suicide.
People fleeing from Russia: ‘We were deprived of “home” too’
Valeria considers her story banal: “I left Russia because I can’t and don’t want to be silent, and I don’t want to go to jail for this either.”
